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Academic ArticleResilience of Past Landscapes: Resilience Theory, Society, and the Longue DuréeRedman, C. L. and A. P. Kinzig 2003. Resilience of past landscapes: resilience theory, society, and the longue durée. Conservation Ecology 7(1): 14. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-00510-070114
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Academic ArticleReshaping the urban space: Bakchias in Ptolemaic and Roman timesThe paper focuses on some important results obtained by an integrated approach using archaeological evidence, papyrological sources and different kinds of technologies in order to reconstruct the urban development of the site of Bakchias, located in the north-eastern part of the Fayyum region (Egypt). The Mission of Bologna University has excavated ancient Bakchias at Kom Umm el-Athl for over twenty years. In particular, the latest studies, conducted in partnership with Sapienza University of Rome since 2005, have revealed several new elements which are useful for reconsidering the urban development of the kome. In 2011, a GIS was constructed not only in order to store and manage the large quantity of data collected during these years, but also to analyse and process the information and to optimise the research goals. Indeed, the latest-field activities have brought to light numerous structures, both public buildings and private houses in different sectors of the archaeological area. At the same time, an analysis of the papyrological and epigraphic sources was carried out so as to comprehend the useful information about the spatial content, activities and buildings recorded for the settlement. The research was completed using different surveying approaches. All the data thus obtained were merged together in a GIS environment, in order to collect and manage all the information and to integrate the individual elements in a coherent workflow process. Spatial or distributional analysis of the data relating to the site enabled us to draw a series of thematic and phase maps of the Bakchias site. The execution of these diachronic plans, representing different chronological phases of the town, allowed us to evaluate the historical development of the site and urban plan transformations.
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Academic ArticleResearches at the Monte Abatone necropolis (Cerveteri)The Authors illustrate the ‘Monte Abatone Project’, focusing on the important necropolis South of the ancient city of Caere. The area in its archaeological and topographical features was not further studied since the geophysical campaigns (1957-1961) by the Lerici Foundation. The main focus is the large area around the Campana Tumulus, previously left unexplored in the large plan by the Lerici Foundation. Excavations in 2018-2021 on the South side of this area led, conversely, to discover a possible ‘family’ cluster of tombs, dating to at least between the early Orientalizing and the early/middle Archaic period: these tombs were of fossa, semi-constructed, single-chamber and C2 types. Also, further unknown sectors of the necropolis were found not far from this cluster, with a concentration of tombs of the early semi-constructed type (first half of VII cent. BCE), provided with small tumuli, ordered in two approximatively parallel rows and all oriented North-West. This suggests the existence of a planning by some form of ‘urban’ authority, at a time – beginning with the Early Orientalizing period − that marked a considerable acceleration in the economic growth of the city and its civil-political structure. The area West and North of the Campana Tumulus was also investigated, including surveying the edges of the plateau that led to the identification of tombs (VI-III cent. BCE) excavated in the past and partially backfilled, and terraces for funerary rites which are oriented, like the Tumulus, toward the city plateau. Extensive use of laser scanning and photogrammetry allowed to produce a model of the Monte Abatone plateau, a 3D model of both the Campana Tumulus, never surveyed since the first half of the nineteenth century, and other excavated tombs.
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BookResearch into the Practical and Policy Applications of Soundscape Concepts and Techniques in Urban AreasThe aim of this review was to investigate existing research into soundscape concepts and to produce recommendations for future research into the practical identification, management and enhancement of soundscapes in urban areas. 2 Existing research on soundscapes was investigated using four methods: i. a survey of more than 500 papers in the academic literature, ii. an analysis of 27 case studies of soundscape assessment, iii. an analysis of 15 case studies of soundscape design, and iv. interviews with five key soundscape experts. Analysis of this data was conducted to identify significant gaps in the knowledge base and suggest a way of obtaining a practical soundscape assessment method. 3 Soundscapes were found to be a highly multi-disciplinary topic, with many different ideas, concepts, aims and methods evident in the literature. The definition of the term soundscape is itself not settled; for the purposes of this project, we have defined it as “the totality of all sounds within a location with an emphasis on the relationship between individual’s or society’s perception of, understanding of and interaction with the sonic environment.” 4 This review highlights that a range of methodological approaches have been used to establish classifications and categorisations of sounds and soundscapes. The relationship between different categories of sounds and their interaction needs to be considered to increase the understanding of soundscape assessments and to derive soundscape classifications. 5 The different methods and tools used to assess soundscapes, in a variety of locations, each have advantages and disadvantages; using a number of methods in one case study can help to mitigate against the disadvantages of any one method. The case studies assessed in this report demonstrate the importance of individual and demographic similarities/differences, people’s behaviour, physical aspects of the soundscape, other sensory and environmental elements, and the general location and context, in understanding and assessing soundscapes. 6 Soundscape assessments involving a subjective component have highlighted a number of variables that play a part in the assessment. These include the individual’s knowledge and prior experience of the soundscape, the meaning they derive from it, their attitude towards the sound source, their behaviour, their noise sensitivity, demographic and cultural dimensions, and their sense of control over the noise. 7 Research has shown that sometimes a soundscape is perceived as a collection of the individual sounds of which it is comprised; soundscape assessments are therefore related to the assessment of those sound types. This implies that soundscape assessment relies upon the identification of the sounds, the prominence of the sounds, and potentially the ratio of certain sound types to other sound types within the soundscape. It is also highlighted that, because the soundscape varies over time, note must be taken of the fact that any soundscape assessment relates to a singular moment in time. Furthermore, research has shown that soundscape assessments can be dependent on an individual’s memory (when using subjective assessments methods) and/or the segment of the soundscape that was recorded (when playing back recorded soundscapes in a laboratory situation). 8 Multi-sensory experience is also shown to be highly relevant to soundscape assessment and must therefore be acknowledged as soundscapes are not perceived in sensory isolation; in particular audio-visual interactions have been shown to have an effect on soundscape perception. Many researchers point to the importance of understanding the full environmental and social context for soundscape assessment, the relevance of comparing similar place types, and the effect of moving between one soundscape and another on an assessment. 9 Turning to the subject of soundscape design, it is noted that there is a dearth of case studies involving the modification and design of soundscapes, both in the UK and internationally. The rationale behind many of the case studies’ focus upon or consideration of sound was the improvement of a soundscape that was negatively affected by the sound of traffic. Approaches to soundscape design varied, ranging from the use of noise control elements, such as barriers and absorbers, to the utilisation or exploitation of natural elements that already exist in the location. Some case studies introduced sounds to the soundscape, in particular water sounds, while others incorporated specific sonic art installations to alter the soundscape or detract attention from existing features of the soundscape. A number of case studies used design alterations to improve the soundscape and perception of the soundscape including altering visual aspects of the place, altering the layout of the area, pedestrianisation of the area, and providing entertainment facilities (e.g. cafes). 10 Case studies whereby design modifications or interventions have taken place, have had little or no formal evaluation of their success. The studies that were evaluated used a number of different methods involving both objective and subjective measures and included the experimental comparison of subjective ratings, observations of people’s behaviour, recognition and awards for good designs, and level of complaints about the soundscape. This demonstrates that different evaluation tools may be necessary dependent upon the type of soundscape intervention being evaluated. Additionally, by combining methods to produce an interdisciplinary evaluation, a more accurate understanding of the success of the soundscape design is possible, hence improving future interventions. 11 The relationship between environment and individual is complex, with many factors, some of which cannot currently be quantified. Important factors include: prominent individual sound sources, the interaction of sources, other sensory stimuli and contextual and individual factors such as meaning, and expectation. Some of these factors can be captured by subjective rating scales for high-level concepts like ‘calmness’, ‘vibrancy’ and ‘spaciousness’. Other factors, such as the semantic meaning of a soundscape are best characterised currently by qualitative descriptors. There are good prospects for developing objective acoustic metrics to evaluate some factors but in most cases this work is still at an early stage, and the methods developed so far have only been applied in specific contexts; to provide metrics that are more broadly applicable they would need to be evaluated in a broader range of locations and conditions. The expert interviews and case studies illustrated the diversity of views across different disciplines on the most promising soundscape methods. All the interviewees agreed on the need for an interdisciplinary approach, and on the need to retain some form of subjective rating when assessing soundscapes. 12 Ultimately, six important gaps have been identified in the soundscape knowledge base. These are areas where more research would significantly improve understanding soundscape assessments. These gaps have been identified as: i. a lack of genuinely interdisciplinary projects (characterised by a shared perspective) instead of multidisciplinary projects (where researchers work in parallel within their own disciplines). These are needed to deal with the multidimensional experience of soundscape perception. ii. a lack of basic knowledge on many aspects of soundscape cognition, perception and classification. iii. a need for large-scale robust field trials of soundscape assessment methods instead of the more common experiment of a new method in a single location. iv. a need to develop more soundscape-specific indicators and tools that could eventually be used for soundscape design. v. a need to rigorously assess deliberate soundscape interventions to understand which design aspects work and which do not. vi. a lack of a close connection between soundscape research, design and planning practice. 13 Finally, a new research project is proposed to develop a robust field assessment method. The aim of this project is to develop a method based on existing research methods but introducing greater confidence by trialling the method across many real urban soundscapes. Options are presented for developing a purely qualitative assessment tool or one that incorporates and integrates both qualitative and quantitative ratings. 14 We recommend that a first step for an assessment method, which could realistically be developed in the near future, should be based on qualitative methods. A second iteration of this soundscape assessment tool could supplement the qualitative techniques with quantitative methods, first based on subjective rating scales and eventually on objective metrics which predict the subjective ratings.
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Academic ArticleResearch challenges for digital archives of 3D cultural heritage modelsThe increasing creation of 3D cultural heritage models has resulted in a need for the establishment of centralized digital archives. We advocate open repositories of scientifically authenticated 3D models based on the example of traditional scholarly journals, with standard mechanisms for preservation, peer review, publication, updating, and dissemination of the 3D models. However, fully realizing this vision will require addressing a number of related research challenges.In this article, we first give a brief background of the virtual heritage discipline, and characterize the need for centralized 3D archives, including a preliminary needs assessment survey of virtual heritage practitioners. Then we describe several existing 3D cultural heritage repositories, and enumerate a number of technical research challenges that should be addressed to realize an ideal archive. These challenges include digital rights management for the 3D models, clear depiction of uncertainty in 3D reconstructions, version control for 3D models, effective metadata structures, long-term preservation, interoperability, and 3D searching. Other concerns are provision for the application of computational analysis tools, and the organizational structure of a peer-reviewed 3D model archive.
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Academic ArticleResearch and technological innovation for the knowledge, conservation and valorization of cultural heritage in sicilyIn our time, new technologies are progressively more and more approaching the cultural heritage's world. The opportunity to obtain – quickly and in a non-invasive way – virtual models of ancient sites, monuments and objects, using data taken by photo-modelling, digital photogrammetry or laser scanning techniques, offers new possibilities for their proper documentation, monitoring, physical conservation, restoration, archiving and valorization. Moreover, reverse engineering techniques allow a deeper understanding of architectural artefacts and collections by increasing their communication, display and interpretation. By showing a number of experiences related to the rich and famous archaeological heritage of Sicily Island, this paper intends to highlight how the use of new digital equipment and methodologies can be of great benefit for its safeguarding, representation, promotion and enjoyment.
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conference paperRescue archaeology in the sultanate of Oman: methods and solution strategiesThis paper aims at presenting the results of the topographic fieldwork of a team of professional archaeologists invited by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture of the Sultanate of Oman to excavate and survey three graveyards in the area of Sohar (Falaji as Souq, Wadi al Arad and Liwa) in 2014 and 2015. The construction of the Batinah Express Highway would have led to the destruction of hundreds of burial mounds, therefore the team developed a quick and accurate surveying strategy to document them properly: after a first “test” campaign using monoscopic photogrammetry, the team opted for 3D SfM photogrammetry using a completely open source workflow. This workflow required two surveyors on the field and in the IT lab to ensure the archaeologists updated orthophotos and to update the 2D and 3D vector plans. To manage the huge mass of data coming from the field the team opted for QGIS and the plugin PyArchInit. The mix of surveying methodology and managing system developed on site allowed the team to document the numerous Stratigraphic Units produced during the excavation of hundreds of graves, and also proved to be very helpful as hermeneutic tool as shown in the case of the excavation of Grave 21.
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Academic ArticleReproducibility in the Field: Transparency, Version Control and Collaboration on the Project Panormos SurveyArchaeological fieldwork is rarely considered reproducible in the sense of the ideal scientific method because of its destructive nature. But new digital technology now offers field practitioners a set of tools that can at least increase the transparency of the data-collection process as well as bring other benefits of an Open Science approach to archaeology. This article shares our perspectives, choices and experiences of piloting a set of tools (namely: ODK, Git, GitLab CE and R) which can address reproducibility of fieldwork in the form of an intensive survey project in western Turkey, and highlights the potential consequences of Open Science approaches for archaeology as a whole.
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Academic ArticleRepresenting knowledge in archaeology: from cataloguing cards to Semantic WebKnowledge has been the driving force behind the Italian National Catalogue of Cultural Heritage. In the first stage, when the catalogue was mainly based on hand written paper cards describing objects regardless of their complexity, and intended for manual access by humans, the expert’s tacit knowledge remained unexpressed, and the card had a simple structure. Computer based applications initially relied on the features of Information Retrieval Systems, and simply converted typewritten cards into electronic documents. As results were quite disappointing, it became evident that a more formal representation of information was needed. The Italian experience led to the definition of a model for objects (simple, complex, aggregation of objects) with quite a large number of fields. Even if the schema was often perceived as too rigid, it proved to be effective for data exchange, and long lasting (the present XML model is almost the same, just with a different syntax). However, its main drawback was the "object centred" approach, and the impossibility of representing significant semantic associations with other disciplines. In this sense, a major objective, the contextualization of objects, remained unattained. The web has been a "cultural revolution", because information is available everywhere, and users feel the need to combine different sources of knowledge. This semantic interoperability issue is often dealt with by adopting a metadata based approach (Dublin Core is the most popular). However, the metadata approach has the intrinsic limit that metadata are properties we "predicate" about items they refer to, and it is difficult, if not impossible, to derive new knowledge from the old. The Semantic Web perspective is much more ambitious, as the aim is to represent, export and share knowledge in a "machine understandable" way, and to allow intelligent agents to reason about it. In this light, scholars’ knowledge must be formalized and made explicit as ontology, and very probably we will have to agree on a different model to represent objects, in a distributed and multicultural environment. This is not the end of the traditional scholars’ knowledge, but a more effective environment for making this knowledge available to all users.
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Academic ArticleRepresenting gazetteers and period thesauri in four-dimensional space–timeGazetteers, i.e., lists of place-names, enable having a global vision of places of interest through the assignment of a point, or a region, to a place name. However, such identification of the location corresponding to a place name is often a difficult task. There is no one-to-one correspondence between the two sets, places and names, because of name variants, different names for the same place and homonymy; the location corresponding to a place name may vary in time, changing its extension or even the position; and, in general, there is the imprecision deriving from the association of a concept belonging to language (the place name) to a precise concept (the spatial location). Also for named time periods, e.g., early Bronze Age, which are of current use in archaeology, the situation is similar: they depend on the location to which they refer as the same period may have different time-spans in different locations. The present paper avails of a recent extension of the CIDOC CRM called CRMgeo, which embeds events in a spatio-temporal 4-dimensional framework. The paper uses concepts from CRMgeo and introduces extensions to model gazetteers and period thesauri. This approach enables dealing with time-varying location appellations as well as with space-varying period appellations on a robust basis. For this purpose a refinement/extension of CRMgeo is proposed and a discretization of space and time is used to approximate real space–time extents occupied by events. Such an approach solves the problem and suggests further investigations in various directions.
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Book SectionRepresenting and exchanging 3D city models with CityGMLCityGML is an open data model and XML-based format for the representation and exchange of virtual 3D city models. It is based on the Geography Markup Language version 3.1.1 (GML3). Both CityGML and GML3 are international standards issued by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). CityGML not only represents the shape and graphical appearance of city models but specifically addresses the object semantics and the representation of the thematic properties, taxonomies and aggregations. The paper gives an overview about CityGML, its modelling aspects and design decisions, recent applications, and its relation to other 3D standards like IFC, X3D, and KML.
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Academic ArticleRepresentation and structure conflict in the digital age: Reassessing archaeological illustration and the use of cubist techniques in depicting images of the pastDigital imaging technologies have enhanced archaeological research and profoundly expanded the scale of the discipline’s potentialities. As illustrators and archaeologists move away from using hand-drawn images (of hand-held, real-life objects) to depict artifacts and other archaeological information, certain capabilities of the traditional illustrative process are lost. One such loss is the ability to present a complete and informed representation of an artifact free of the distortions and visual limitations that single-perspective (i.e., digital or photographic) imagery produces. This is accomplished by the illustrator through the unification of multiple views of the artifact from various perspectives into a single two-dimensional image that communicates to the viewer important attributes of the artifact, free of distortion and remaining true to the measured, analytical conventions of the illustrative process. Liberation from the single-viewpoint perspective was one of the fundamental elements of the Cubist movement. Traditional archaeological illustrators utilize Cubist principles to communicate visually to the viewer a complete, accurate, and undistorted package of information about an artifact. The supplanting of hand-drawn illustrations by digital images in today’s archaeological publications threatens to revert the visual representation of data back to uninformed, surficial “snapshots” of incomplete objects.
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Academic ArticleRepresentation and knowledge of historic construction: HBIM for structural use in the case of Villa Palma-Guazzaroni in TerniA validated method for digital representation of historic construction through HBIM permits assessment of compliance with workmanlike manner and structural performance. The construction of an appropriate model is closely linked to survey methodology, to the integrated application of multiple techniques of direct and indirect survey and non-destructive tests. The paper specifically deals with the complementarity between photogrammetry based on UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) with TLS (Terrestrial Laser Scanner). Finally, through this methodology, the HBIM model set for structural use allows the analysis of local mechanisms in order to verify the performance of the building.
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Academic ArticleReplacing academic journalsA major factor underlying several of scholarship's most pressing problems is its antiquated journal system with its trifecta of reproducibility, affordability and functionality crises. Any solution needs to not only solve the current problems but also be capable of preventing a takeover by corporations. Technically, there is broad agreement on the goal for a modern scholarly digital infrastructure: it needs to replace traditional journals with a decentralized, resilient, evolvable network that is interconnected by open standards under the governance of the scholarly community. It needs to replace the monopolies of current journals with a genuine, functioning and well-regulated market. In this new market, substitutable service providers compete and innovate according to the conditions of the scholarly community, avoiding further vendor lock-in. Redirection of funding from the legacy publishers to the new framework may be realized by a tried-and-tested incentive system: Funding agencies have ensured minimum standards at funded institutions by requiring specific infrastructures. These requirements, updated to include the new framework, provide exquisite incentives for institutions to redirect their infrastructure funds from antiquated journals to modern technology. At the same time and enabled by this plan, new, modern and adaptable reputation systems, long demanded by the scientific community, can finally be implemented. Ownership involves socially recognized economic rights, first and foremost the exclusive control over that property, with the self-efficacy it affords. The inability to exert such control over crucial components of their scholarly infrastructure in the face of a generally recognized need for action for over three decades now, evinces the dramatic erosion of real ownership rights for the scholarly community over said infrastructure. Thus, this proposal is motivated not only by the now very urgent need to restore such ownership to the scholarly community, but also by the understanding that through their funding bodies, scholars may have an effective and proven avenue at their disposal to identify game-changing actions and to design a financial incentive structure for recipient institutions that can help realize the restoration of ownership, with the goal to implement open digital infrastructures that are as effective and as invisible as their non-digital counterparts.
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preprintRemoving Barriers to Reproducible Research in ArchaeologyReproducible research is being implemented at different speeds in different disciplines, and Archaeology is at the start of this journey. Reproducibility is the practice of reanalysing data by taking the same steps and producing the same or similar results. Enabling reproducibility is an important step to ensure research quality and validate interpretations. There are currently many barriers to moving towards reproducible research such as the skill level of researchers in the practices, software and infrastructure needed to do reproducible research and concerns relating to opening up research such as how to share sensitive data. In this article, we seek to introduce reproducible research in an understandable manner so that archaeologists can learn where and how to start improving the reproducibility of their research. We describe what reproducible archaeological research can look like and propose three different computational skill levels of reproducible workflows with examples. Finally, in an extensive appendix, we address common questions about reproducible research to remove the stigma about these issues and suggest ways to overcome them. This articles has been reviewed and recommended by PCI Archaeology.
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Academic ArticleRemote Sensing, Archaeological, and Geophysical Data to Study the Terramare Settlements: The Case Study of Fondo Paviani (Northern Italy)During the Middle and Recent Bronze Age, the Po Plain and, more broadly Northern Italy were populated by the so-called “Terramare”, embanked settlements, surrounded by a moat. The buried remains of these archaeological settlements are characterized by the presence of a system of palaeo-environments and a consequent natural gradient in soil moisture content. These differences in the soil are often firstly detectable on the surface during the seasonal variations, with aerial, satellite, and Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) images, without any information on the lateral and in-depth extension of the related buried structures. The variation in the moisture content of soils is directly related to their differences in electrical conductivity. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and frequency domain electromagnetic (FDEM), also known as electromagnetic induction (EMI) measurements, provide non-direct measurements of electrical conductivity in the soils, helping in the reconstruction of the geometry of different buried structures. This study presents the results of the multidisciplinary approach adopted to the study of the Terramare settlement of Fondo Paviani in Northern Italy. Remote sensing and archaeological data, collected over about 10 years, combined with more recent ERT and FDEM measurements, contributed to the analysis of this particular, not yet wholly investigated, archaeological site. The results obtained by the integrated multidisciplinary study here adopted, provide new useful, interesting information for the archaeologists also suggesting future strategies for new studies still to be conducted around this important settlement.
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Academic ArticleRemote Sensing-Based Approaches to Site Morphology and Historical Geography in the Northern Fertile CrescentRemote Sensing-Based Approaches to Site Morphology and Historical Geography in the Northern Fertile Crescent
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Academic ArticleRemote Sensing applications in archaeologyIn recent years Remote Sensing applications in archaeology have become increasingly frequent. This plurality of applications depends mostly on the rising interest of the scientific community in modern methods for surveying geographic data, which have become increasingly powerful, automatic and reliable. Remote Sensing, with its various techniques, offers the rapid acquisition of a huge quantity of metric and qualitative data in order to describe or to identify archaeological sites. For an appropriate and widespread use of these data, it is still necessary to have recourse to GIS techniques; as a matter of fact, only the combined use of both methodologies provides a full exploitation of their potential for an in-depth understanding and an effective utilization of data related to an archaeological site. The authors illustrate some case studies concerning use of remote sensed data for cartographic applications and detection of possible buried archaeological structures.
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Academic ArticleRemote sensing and ground survey of archaeological damage and destruction at Nineveh during the ISIS occupationArmed conflicts frequently result in the damage or destruction of archaeological heritage. The occupation by ISIS of parts of Iraq and Syria is no exception. Here, the authors present the results of work focused on Nineveh, as part of a wider research initiative to monitor damage inflicted by ISIS at archaeological sites in northern Iraq. Combining satellite imagery, low-level aerial photography and ground-based reconnaissance, the project presents a condition assessment of Nineveh, as well as a new topographic map of the city. The results demonstrate that a few high-profile acts of deliberate vandalism were accompanied by much more extensive damage caused by construction and rubbish dumping extending across substantial parts of the site.
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Academic ArticleReligion at Lachish under Egyptian Colonialism.This paper presents an outline of the innovations that occurred in the local religion at Lachish during the Late Bronze Age and suggests a model for the local encounters with the Egyptians. The outline is based on amulets (charm practices), temple architecture and paraphernalia ("public" or "official" cult), in-house deposits ("domestic" or "family" cult), and visual language (iconography). It argues that the interconnectedness of the colonial network, the participation of agents of Canaanite background in various roles in the network, and the constant exposure of Canaanites and Egyptians to each other all shaped the local religion, and hence shaped a collective identity shared by the inhabitant of Lachish, to fit the colonial arena. It was not an isolated phenomenon but rather part of a wider transformation that included consumption practices and scribal activity. These innovations were selectively chosen and localized to fit local norms and needs. Their new owners used them in structuring their perception of the colonial setting, in locating their place in it, and in their search for social status.
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Academic ArticleRelazioni tra geomorfologia, processi post-deposizionali e visibilità del suolo nella lettura dei dati di prospezione archeologicaThis paper takes into examination two different districts of the vast area investigated by the archaeological survey of the hinterland of the ancient Greek colony of Himera: the coastal area between the northern Imera and Rocella rivers and the hilly watershed zone located between the northern Imera, southern Imera and Platani rivers. The study examines the relationships between geomorphology, post-depositional processes and visibility of the ground and their impact on the interpretation of data collected during the archaeological survey and, consequently, on the historical reconstruction of the population of the territory from Prehistory to the Middle Ages. Three aspects in particular have been taken into consideration: a) the impact of geomorphology on the recognition of archaeological traces; b) the relationship between geomorphology and visibility of archaeological finds; c) the role of the geomorphological and/or of the human factors in the selection of areas to be settled. Our conclusion is that the geomorphological context assumes a major role in the selection of areas of settlement, while the visibility of the ground seems to affect not only the number of archaeological finds, but also their legibility and interpretation.
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Academic ArticleRelating time within the general methodological structure of archaelogical interpretationDuring the past few years we have presented and published a series of papers on the project ArchéoDATA that we have been developing in the GDR 880 of CNRS, in our quest for a methodological structure for the recording and analysis of archaeological data and the creation of a European Archaeological Information System, designed to formalise and to structure archaeological documents. The three basic components of archaeological recording and analysis are the factors “objects”, “space” and “time”. Through their interaction the archaeologist must attempt to construct an interpretation and argue his thesis. The management of data pertaining to each one of the components of “object”, “space” and “time” should be undertaken with the same elementary structure. Due to the diversity of recording methods, and to inconsistent terminology used to express what in essence are similar things, a definition based on the word “Entity” was chosen and the “Archaeological, Spatial, Temporal, Interpretative and Analytical Entities” were consequently defined. This paper presents in detail new work that has been undertaken on structuring the basic component “time”.
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Academic ArticleRelating archaeological chaîne opératoire and process mining in computer scienceThis paper investigates the potential for close methodological synergies between chaîne opératoire and cross-craft interaction, on the one hand, and an alternative use of the so-called process mining in Business Process Modelling, on the other. We use process mining and chaîne opératoire as an initial ground to bring archaeology and computer science closer. We suggest new theoretical models and methodological approaches fostering cross-fertilization between archaeology and computer sciences. The present paper gives an account of cross-cutting research inspired by these methodological approaches and we investigate our common methodologies and test them in case studies based on pottery making. Methodologically, we propose to adopt a formal approach inspired by the computer science notions of workflow and process mining. In fact, such notions have to be extended in order to model the complex chaîne opératoire envisaged by Brysbaert. As shown theoretically, this can be achieved by means of suitable ontologies. Consequently we have re-elaborated specific logs and shown that new notations for archaeological processes and algorithms are needed. In conclusion, we offer a list of requirements for an ontology of (workflows for) chaînes opératoires.
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Academic ArticleRegistro para la cuantificación de cerámica arqueológica: estado de la cuestión y una nueva propuesta. Protocolo de Sevilla (PRCS/14)We introduce here a new quantification proposal in protohistoric and classical pottery studies. The proposal also includes the way of representation of such analytics with the aim of making homogeneous diagnostic, analysis and publication models of any kind of ceramic material disregarding their nature. Therefore, it can be useful for either stratigraphy assemblages or particular series. This standard attempts to improve data interconnection between different areas, between different sites, so more solid and comparable values will be obtained at territorial level. At least, much better than the ones employed nowadays. Finally, using certain conventions in the pottery analysis will help us to build a high rank interpretative system, which may include aspects of commercial, social, cultural and, even, symbolic character.
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Academic ArticleRegistering and documenting the stratification of disruptions and restorations in historical edifices. The contribution of archaeoseismology in architectureThis work deals with the application of archaeological methods and modern methodologies of point clouds survey to structural analysis, with the purpose of creating a series of products, such as Elevation Maps, Orthophotos, 3D Models, in order to highlight the building and mechanical past of the examined buildings and to further the knowledge of the territory's seismic history. These products are to be used as a base for the study of the cognitive process of the material structure, the constructive techniques and the restoration of a specific context, of importance for future vulnerability and restoration analyses. The present paper will focus on the trinomial “technology-archaeoseismology-earthquakes” in order to bring to the attention of the scientific community the advantages and critical issues of an innovative point of view. The historical center of Florence and, specifically, the church of San Remigio, has been chosen as a case study to illustrate the methodology.
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Book SectionRegions and neighbourhoodsThe Cambridge Companion to Ancient Rome offers thirty-one original essays by leading historians, classicists and archaeologist on the largest metropolis of the Roman Empire. While the Colosseum, imperial palaces and Pantheon are famous features of the Roman capital, Rome is addressed in this volume primarily as a city in which many thousands of men and women were born, lived, and died. The clearly written and succinct chapters discuss numerous issues related to the capital of the Roman Empire: from the monuments and the games to the food- and water supply, from policing and riots to domestic housing, from death and disease to pagan cults and the impact of Christianity. Richly illustrated and designed as a readable survey accessible to all audiences, the Companion explains ground-breaking new research against the background of current debate and reaches a level of sophistication that will be appreciated by the experts.
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Book SectionRegiones quattuordecimThis is the first of a five-volume set that will contain 2,300 entries on the topography of ancient Rome. The lexicon will provide an up-to-date account of current research on public and private buildings and monuments constructed within the Aurelianic walls through the early seventh century A.D. Both classical and Christian structures are discussed in alphabetical entries by an international group of historians, topographers, archaeologists, philologists, numismatists, and art historians. Each volume will be heavily illustrated with drawings, photographs, floor plans, and maps.
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Book SectionRegine e principesse picene vestite e coperte di bronzo e ambraRoma, 2004; br., pp. 175, ill. b/n e col., tavv. b/n e col.
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Academic ArticleReflexiones en la práctica de la arqueología digital: la construcción y comunicación del patrimonio cultural virtualThis paper develops reflections on how new digital technologies are evolving and being used as methodological tools in archaeological research. The registration and representation of archaeological materials and sites depend increasingly on these technologies to obtain the best information for knowledge, conservation and value-recognition purposes. In this context, virtual archaeology has provided a professional environment where interdisciplinary professionals converge to apply these tools for research. According to the definition of the Seville Principles, virtual archaeology aims to investigate and develop forms of application of technology-assisted visualization for the integral management of archaeological heritage. This discipline is still under construction due to a conjunction of approaches, objectives and limitations (Izeta & Cattáneo, 2018). These technologies include image-creation procedures. They construct a new product which is called virtual heritage. The generated image is understood as a representation, that is, as a product with two articulated dimensions. On the one hand, all virtual representations have the peculiar status of being in the place of something else (an object, a person, a concept); thus, all these representations are the presence of an absence of something. On the other hand, all representations show something: they exhibit their own presence or materiality as an image. This perspective allows us to notice each image's phenomenon or existing condition, insofar as it emphasizes that all representations are materialized thanks to digital solutions. In this sense, it is essential to know that these new laboratory-created images, both make their absent referents (objects in most cases) present, and constitute a new digital/virtual cultural phenomenon (Chartier, 1992). The authors consider that these new images are regarded as a new plausible record to be studied, preserved and communicated. This work is therefore an interdisciplinary space to think about the contribution of digital methods and techniques in the practice of the authors’ discipline; the documentation, analysis and virtual reconstruction of archaeological material, as well as the integral management of cultural heritage gain efficiency thanks to digital technologies. They also establish a space for reflection on their influence upon archaeological practice, in need of criteria to apply these technologies. The resulting product that can be used for science communication purposes. This proposal is based on the three goals of the ArqueoLab-UBA Project: cultural heritage research, conservation and communication. From the conservation point of view, the digitization and virtualization of archaeological materials protects non-renewable and fragile resources. Its importance lies in the quality of the information it provides, as by documenting and assisting in objects investigation and preservation, it can be used both to detect, measure and research deterioration over time and to predict patterns. Similarly, it also allows users to document restoration processes (Acevedo, Staropoli, Riera Soto, Soto, Herrera & Rossi, 2020; Jáidar Benavides, López Armenda, Rodríguez Vidal, Villaseñor & Fragoso Calderas, 2017). Thereby, when applying these technologies, the aim is to generate an appropriate product which can be made known to different publics, on the one hand; on the other hand, it also focuses on sharing and communicating information in the academic-scientific field through open-access databases and digital repositories. Communication also makes it possible to turn the archaeological object into a virtual heritage product; its materialization in a new digital format includes all intelligible information linked, appropriated and transmissible to the non-academic community. These steps can be understood as a process of user needs identification and satisfaction; the resulting advantages are that archaeological heritage is publicized and valued, while facilitating access to cultural proposals (Acevedo et al. 2020; Acevedo, Staropoli, Ávido & Vitores, 2021). Investigating, conserving and communicating cultural heritage are much more than tools for preserving information: they are means to guarantee a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to cultural heritage.
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Academic ArticleReflections on the linguistic map of pre-Islamic ArabiaAt a workshop on ?Civilisations de l?Arabie préislamique' in Aix-en-Provence in February 1996, I was asked by the organizers to give a survey of the state of our knowledge of the languages and scripts of pre-Islamic Arabia and to propose a coherent set of definitions and terms for them, in an attempt to clarify the numerous misapprehensions and the somewhat chaotic nomenclature in the field. I purposely concentrated on the languages and scripts of the Arabian Peninsula north of Yemen, and only mentioned in passing those of Ancient South Arabia, since these were to be the subject of another paper. Unfortunately, four years after it took place, the proceedings of this workshop remain unpublished. In the meantime, the contents of my paper have circulated widely and I, and others, are finding it increasingly frustrating having to refer to it as ?forthcoming?. I am therefore most grateful to the editor of AAE for allowing a considerably revised version of my paper to be published here. It should be seen as an essential preliminary ground-clearing for my detailed discussion of the Ancient North Arabian languages and scripts which will appear early in 2001 in The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World's Ancient Languages (ed. R.D. Woodard, Cambridge University Press) and my book Old Arabic and its legacy in the later language. Texts, linguistic features, scripts and letter-orders, which is in preparation.
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conference paperReflection transformation imaging and virtual representations of coins from the hospice of the grand St. BernardReflection transformation imaging offers a powerful new method of documenting and communicating numismatic cultural heritage information. The challenges of documenting numismatic material will be examined along with the limitations of traditional documentary techniques. Previous uses of structured light scanning and PTMs in numismatic documentation are reviewed and evaluated. A novel, low cost method for capturing PTMs at remote locations and subsequent data processing operations is described. Reflection transformation imaging is shown to capture more complete documentation than traditional photographic methods and communicate this information with ease through digital media. The advantages of interactive relighting of numismatic PTM images in conjunction with enhancement operations are explored along with the potential of informed choice of the most information rich illumination directions. Advantages of joint capture of structured light and PTMs are examined including the inherent registration of range and normal data, using range and normal information together to improve 3D position accuracy, and the enhanced evidentiary reliability that results.
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Academic Article
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Academic ArticleRediscovering the lost Roman landscape in the Southern Trieste karst (North-Eastern Italy): Road network, land divisions, rural buildings and new hints on the Avesica road stationAn interdisciplinary study of the ancient landscape of the Trieste Karst (north-eastern Italy) is presented in this paper. Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) has been applied to obtain high-resolution topography of the 25 km2 investigated area in order to identify potential archaeological anomalies. The ALS-derived high-resolution Digital Terrain Models have been visualized and managed using QGIS and Relief Visualization Toolbox. Possible archaeological anomalies have been verified through field surveys and interpreted using a multidisciplinary approach mainly based on the collection of associated archaeological materials and geomorphological and stratigraphic evidence. From a methodological perspective, the elaboration and study of ALS-derived images, and in particular the local relief model visualization, combined with the collection of Roman shoe hobnails, have proven to be effective approaches for the certain identification and dating of Roman roads in karst environments. The obtained results have revealed an almost completely unknown Roman landscape: the investigated area was crossed by important public roads, whose layout has been accurately reconstructed for a total length of over 10 km, and occupied by large country estates, sometimes enclosed within boundary walls perfectly fitting the Roman land division grid. One of the identified buildings could correspond to a road station, perhaps the Avesica known from ancient itinerary documents—i.e., the itinerarium Antonini Augusti—due to its position and proximity to a major road junction.
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Academic ArticleReconstruction of Villino Florio’s wooden ceiling using 3D technologiesThis work originated from a simple question: is it possible to reconstruct a destroyed architectural decorative element starting from documents that describe its details, shape and constitutive materials? An important limitation in the past was the lack of technologies and materials that could replicate an object like this in detail. Only a few years ago technology was not yet able to ensure accurate reconstruction characterized by an adequate formal aesthetic level both in terms of materials and finishes. Nowadays, this gap has been filled thanks to the development of Computer Numerical Control machines (CNC) in production processes. In this contribution, we present part of the restoration of Villino Florio in Palermo, built by the architect Ernesto Basile on behalf of the Florio family between 1899 and 1902 and partially destroyed by a fire in 1962: it is one of Italy’s first architectural works in the Art Nouveau style, and is considered a masterwork within the European panorama. The restoration, directed by the Soprintendenza BB.CC.AA. Di Palermo, also involved the monumental staircase, with a complex wooden floral pattern (‘ramage’) used to decorate the ceiling. Starting from the relief of the environment and from the old photographic documents, a 3D model of the ramage was retrieved. This formed the basis of information necessary for the subsequent reproduction of the subject with CNC machines on oak modules, assembled and finished just as they appeared in the photographs before the fire. A numerical approach made it possible to control the entire process by adopting structural solutions to avoid overloading the ceiling with excessive weight.
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Academic ArticleReconstruction of Epipaleolithic settlement and “climatic refugia” in the Zagros Mountains during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)The Iranian Plateau is an important geographical unit located in a key potential region for the Pleistocene population dispersals across Eurasia. Despite its important location and a long history of archaeological investigations, the Epipaleolithic sites distribution pattern and connectivity remained less explored compared to the Middle and Upper Paleolithic periods. In this study we used ecological niche modelling (Generalized Linear Models, Generalized Additive Models, Generalized Boosting Models, Maximum Entropy Modelling and Random Forest), together with corridor mapping methods, to reconstruct the Epipaleolithic settlements and their connectivity in the Zagros Mountains. We showed that the central parts and the western slopes of the Zagros Mountains were the most suitable areas for Epipaleolithic settlement during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Topographic complexity was the most important variable in shaping Epipaleolithic settlement distribution with a positive association. The niche model and corridors maps developed for the Epipaleolithic humans show areas potentially suitable for the presence of Epipaleolithic settlements but no site has been discovered in this area so far. Thus, these areas are having high priority for future field excavations.
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Academic Article
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conference paperReconstructing the lost reality archaeological analysis and Transmedial Technologies for a perspective of Virtual Reality in the Etruscan city of KainuaThis paper presents the very first results of a three-year research program concerning the digital reconstruction of an entire Etruscan town, based on a philological analysis of archaeological data. The archaeological site and the adjacent museum will be then provided with suitable systems of perception and discovery of the archaeological reality, fully reconstructed due to innovative Transmedial Technologies based on Virtual Reality and, since this work is still in progress, studied through future digital models based on historic BIM process.
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Academic ArticleReconstructing the Late Antiquity Episcopal Complex of ValentiaIn Valencia, near the Cathedral, the Almoina Archaeological Center is the most important excavation area in the city. The buildings dated to Late Antiquity found here were the main ones of this period. The Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Mausoleum, the Memorial of Saint Vincent martyrdom, some reused Roman buildings (Curia, Asklepieion), some necropoleis and other minor constructions have been identified. We are also aware of a large but incomplete Episcopal Complex (we have not yet identified the bishop’s palace). Little by little this important quarter of the town has been reconstructed infographically. The virtual reconstruction project of Valencia was begun in 1999. In that year we presented the first proposal of the reconstruction of the city during the Roman Republican, Roman Empire and Late Antiquity periods. New and up-dated versions with new archaeological remains and the applications of technological advances were made in 2003 and 2007. For this work, which is still in progress, we have always followed the same methodology. We are now able to present the latest proposal (2016-2017) about the exterior and interior appearance of the main important quarter in Valentia around 600 AD.
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Academic ArticleReconstructing the funerary landscape: natural environment and topography of the necropolisThe short note illustrates the activities carried out within the ‘Almaidea’ project of the University of Bologna for the reconstruction of the ancient funerary landscape of the Davanzali necropolis in Numana. While waiting for new geological-geomorphological research aimed at the acquisition of data at a territorial scale, the landscape shapes, reconstructed so far on the basis of published data, are recalled for the contextualization of the necropolis sector under study. Attention is focused on geomatic techniques for the documentation of the different ancient topographical plans, the starting point for subsequent topographical reconstructions of the evolution of the landscape of the necropolis over the centuries.
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Academic ArticleReconstructing the ancient urban landscape in a long-lived city: the Asculum Project, combining research, territorial planning and preventative archaeologyThe Asculum Project started in 2012 by the Bologna University in agreement with the former Soprintendenza per iBeni Archeologici delle Marche and the Municipality of Ascoli Piceno, mainly as a project of urban archaeology and preventative archaeology in a city which has been inhabited for a very long period of time. A proper integrated methodology and the combination of a wide range of data, including that gathered from geophysical surveys, archaeological digs, historic cartography, bibliographic and archival data, allowed us to reconstruct the cityscape during the Roman Age and its development over the centuries. The understanding of the ancient urban landscape also included a detailed morphological study aimed at the reconstruction of the Roman paleosurface, carried out using data derived from coring samples and stratigraphic digs. In parallel, particular attention was directed to the modern 3D documentation of the historical buildings of the city, by means of laser scanner and the analysis of the stratigraphy of the surviving walls. The new surveys covered, in particular, the still extant Roman buildings, such as the temples incorporated by the churches of San Venanzio and San Gregorio Magno, as well as the Sostruzioni dell’Annunziata. These last acquisitions made it possible to reconstruct the overall layout and urban plan of the town during the Roman Age, as well as to shed new light on the conformation of the ancient landscape at the time of the oldest Piceni settlement. One of the most interesting aspects of the operating practices applied in the project was to reconcile the needs for preservation and research with the aim of a sustainable urban development.
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Academic ArticleReconstructing prehistoric settlement models and land use patterns on Mt. Damota/SW EthiopiaAlthough high-altitude mountain habitats are often regarded as unfavorable for human occupation (e.g. Aldenderfer 2014); on the other hand tropical highlands in Africa are suggested as potential refugia during times of environmental stress (e.g. Basell 2008; Brandt et al. 2012). Archaeological investigations on Mount Damota (2908 m a.s.l.), located on the boundary between the Southwest Ethiopian Highlands to the west and the southern Main Ethiopian Rift valley to the east, yielded a large number of archaeological sites from the Middle Stone Age period until historical times. In this paper we try to reconstruct settlement models for the late Pleistocene and Holocene occupation in this area and speculate about potential land use patterns. Such complex topics demand a landscape archaeological approach that includes open-air sites and rock-shelters. The results from our excavations at Mochena Borago Rock-shelter and evidence from open-air-sites that were recorded during intensive surveys on the slopes and plateau of the mountain, allow a first reconstruction of the settlement history of the area.
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Academic ArticleReconstructing Pre-Industrial Long Distance Roads in a Hilly Region in Germany, Based on Historical and Archaeological DataThe aim of this contribution is on the one hand to map pre-industrial long distance roads located in a hilly region east of Cologne, Germany, as exactly as possible and on the other hand to assess the accuracy of least-cost approaches that are increasingly applied by archaeologists for prehistoric road reconstruction. Probably the earliest map covering the study area east of Cologne dates back to 1575. The map is distorted so that rectification is difficult. But it is possible to assess the local accuracy of the map and to transfer the approximate routes to a modern map manually. Most of the area covered by the 1575 map is also depicted on a set of more accurate maps created in the early 19th century and a somewhat later historical map set (ca. 1842 AD). The historical roads on these rectified historical maps close to the approximate roads were digitized and compared to the outcomes of least-cost analysis, specifically least-cost paths and accessibility maps. Based on these route reconstructions with limited accuracy, Lidar data is checked to identify remains of these roads. Several approaches for visualizing Lidar data are tested to identify appropriate methods for detecting sunken roads. Possible sunken roads detected on the Lidar images were validated by checking cross sections in the digital elevation model and in the field.
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conference paperReconstructing Lexicography in Glyptic Art: Structural Relations between the Akkadian age and the Ur III PeriodReconstructing Lexicography in Glyptic Art: Structural Relations between the Akkadian age and the Ur III Period
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Academic ArticleReconstructing historical journeys with least-cost analysis: Colonel William Leake in the Mani Peninsula, GreeceDue to the proliferation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and the improvement of graphic user interfaces, least-cost analysis has become one of the most common tools in archaeological research for modelling movement across past landscapes. While more complex techniques and algorithms have been developed to address the theoretical limitations of least-cost analysis, many of these are not readily accessible to typical GIS users, due to either hardware limitations or a lack of in-depth training in the theory and methods of spatial analysis. Seeking a middle ground, we test a number of simple modifications to basic least-cost analysis using the Mani peninsula in southern Greece as a case study. We assess eight procedures for calculating least-cost paths (LCPs), defining cost based on a combination of slope and the location of pre-modern pathways. These procedures are used to generate LCPs for a well-documented journey made by Colonel William Martin Leake in the year 1805. Comparing the LCPs against Leake's detailed notes and “low-cost corridors,” we visually assess the reliability of each model and identify likely alternative routes. We conclude that a simple modification to basic least-cost analysis – incorporating a time-based algorithm along with traces of pre-modern footpaths and roads – can produce robust, reliable least-cost models in other archaeological contexts where traces of pre-modern pathways can still be detected.
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Academic ArticleReconstructing distribution of the Eastern Rock Nuthatch during the Last Glacial Maximum and Last InterglacialSpecies distribution models have many applications in ecology, conservation, biogeography, and even paleoecology. In this study, we modeled the distribution of the Eastern Rock Nuthatch ( Sitta tephronota), a common rock dweller bird in Iranian Plateau, and determined most important climatic variables affecting the distribution of the species. We then projected the species distribution into the past, the Last Glacial Maximum (21,000 yr BP) and Last Interglacial (~120,000– 140,000 yr BP), to investigate how the species’ range would have changed through time. Results indicated that Zagros Mountains, Alborz Mountains and Kopet Dagh Mountains in the northeast of Iran are the most suitable habitats for the Eastern Rock Nuthatch. Annual mean temperature and annual precipitation identified as the most important variables in predicting the distribution of this species. During the Last Glacial Maximum, potential distribution of Eastern Rock Nuthatch was larger from its current distribution; however, the species’ climatic niche remains relatively stable since the Last Glacial Maximum. Our results also showed that during the Last Interglacial, distribution of the Eastern Rock Nuthatch was restricted to high elevations and was very different compared to its current distribution.
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Academic ArticleReconstructing a fossil landscape by Remote Sensing and GIS applications: sites, virtual models and territory during the Middle Bronze Age in the Po Plain (Northern Italy)This paper illustrates preliminary results of the research project “An inventory of the Terramare in the central Po plain: physiographic context, stratigraphic and structural characteristics, state of preservation”, part of the Cultural Heritage Special Project, promoted by Italian National Research Council. The project involves GIS and remote sensing applications in order to integrate different 2D-3D georeferenced data (sites, excavations, surveys, landscape and territorial data) such as: a) raster data (aerial photographs of different periods starting from 1950, regional cartography, DEM); b) vector data (cartography, thematic layers, archaeological sites, etc.); c) a DEM created by cartographic contour lines and using a total laser station on the ground; d) alphanumeric data (excavation databases, territorial databases). The methodological approach has been to represent and analyse archaeological data from micro-scale (intra-site) to macro-scale (inter-sites), in particular exploring the perspectives of 3D GIS visualisations. Attention was therefore concentrated on the topographical reconstruction of microrelief in relation with the aerial photos (of different periods) used as textures, geomorphological features and archaeological data. We can define this kind of processing as a visualisation of an invisible landscape, as much more information can be retrieved from the terrain than using traditional techniques (aerial photo-interpretation, survey, etc.); in many cases this is very useful in order to help plan an excavation. Regarding the acquisition and processing of multi-temporal, multi-layer and multi-dimensional data, this research deals with a large-scale detailed study of the data collected by topography, but enhanced by surveys and acquisition of data on the ground. In fact one of the main tasks of our project is the creation of detailed models on the basis of the microrelief.
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Academic ArticleReconsidering the Topography of al-Balīd (Oman): A Preliminary Review of the Graphical DocumentationAbstract In the last 70 years several groups investigated the ancient site of al-Balīd. From Costa onwards all researchers placed their spatial data on the grid provided by the Italian archaeologist; in order to precise the positioning of the monuments and of the single excavations, the scholars sub-divided the original grid in smaller units. Jansen introduced a completely 3D digital recording system by the use of total station. Isenberg improved the information system using more sophisticated and accurate spatial technologies. From Jansen onwards all data were geo-referenced according to local cartographical coordinates. The paper focused on the graphical documentation provided by each research group and on the methodology underlying the data.
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Book SectionReconnaissance automatique des appellations d'øeuvres visuelles antiquesLe projet pluridisciplinaire MonumenTAL a pour objectif de repérer et répertorier les appellations d’œuvres d’art visuel de l’Antiquité classique dans des textes en français publiés du XVIIIe au XXIe siècle en utilisant les méthodes du TAL. Il repose sur une collaboration étroite entre historiens de l’art (LIMC), linguistes-TAListes (MoDyCo) et bibliothécaires (BnF). Le traitement proposé implique plusieurs étapes : sélection du corpus d’étude, élaboration d’une typologie des appellations, constitution d’un corpus annoté par les experts du domaine et développement d’un outil de reconnaissance automatique des appellations fondé sur des méthodes symboliques.
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Academic ArticleReconfiguring the 3D excavation archive. Technological shift and data remix in the archaeological project of Paliambela Kolindros, GreeceRecent advances in recording equipment, software solutions and intra-site applications have supported the widespread integration of 3D spatial technologies within archaeological fieldwork. However, the heavy dependence on digital technology to organize excavation research does not come without costs, especially in the case of long-term excavation projects that have employed 3D documentation procedures and need to use, maintain and preserve their 3D archives. This work revisits the digital data collection of the excavation project in Paliambela Kolindros, Greece, which provided one of the first working examples regarding a full 3D workflow in excavation recording and interpretative reasoning. As part of our attempt to integrate part of the 3D excavation archive in the ARIADNEplus infrastructure and with the intention to build up its informational capacity, the article reviews the entire methodology and identifies cases where data reassessment or reprocessing activities link directly to digital knowledge production practices. Based on our experience, we discuss the possibility of regarding the excavation event as a historically situated conversion into an archive to be further transformed and perpetually re-interpreted in the digital continuum. By stressing the dependence of archaeological knowledge work to digital data provenance and transparent data curation practices, we have a chance to both harness the benefits of 3D GIS and improve data preservation chances.
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BookRecherches sur la statuaire royale de la XIXe dynastieL’IFAO fait partie du Réseau des Écoles françaises à l’étranger; il a pour vocation l’étude des cultures qui se sont succédé en Égypte depuis la préhistoire jusqu’à l’époque moderne.
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Book SectionRecherche interdisciplinaire en archéologie et écologie humaine dans la vallée centre-alpine de la Léventine, Tessin (Suisse)The department of Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Zurich has been engaged in archaeological Alpine research for the last 30 years. This research focuses on themes of settlement and landscape archaeology mainly, developing new research methods, and in particular interdisciplinary approaches to human ecology. A new project entitled “Leventina – Prehistoric Settlement Landscape” aims at reconstructing the Bronze and Iron Age settlement history of the Leventina (Alpine Ticino valley) through archaeological and paleo-environmental studies in its different altitudinal zones. A comprehensive strategy of survey and eco-archaeological research has been designed for the project, including predictive modeling using archaeological maps, systematic and random field survey, coring, sub-surface testing, and medium-scale excavation. Data are modeled in GIS using the project database along with scaled geodata.,Le Département d’Archéologie Préhistorique de l’Université de Zurich conduit depuis une trentaine d’années des fouilles archéologiques dans les Alpes. Les chercheurs s’intéressent en particulier aux modes d’occupation et aux paysages, élaborant de nouvelles techniques de recherche et, notamment, des approches interdisciplinaires de l’écologie humaine. Un nouveau projet intitulé « Léventine – paysage de l’occupation préhistorique » vise à retracer l’histoire du peuplement aux âges du Bronze et du Fer dans la Léventine (vallée alpine du Tessin) grâce à des études archéologiques et paléo-environnementales menées à différentes altitudes. Pour ce projet, il a fallu développer une méthodologie de prospection et de recherches éco-archéologiques, avec modélisation prédictive fondée sur des cartes archéologiques, étude systématique ou aléatoire du terrain, carottages, sondages et fouilles de moyenne ampleur. Les données sont modélisées en SIG à partir de la base de données du projet et de données spatiales mises à l’échelle.
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Academic ArticleRecent trends in cultural heritage 3D survey: The photogrammetric computer vision approachThe techniques of measuring and 3D modelling based on images, as is typical in photogrammetry, grew in interest again in recent years, since a new generation of software tools has spread. These ones implement in different measure the algorithms developed by computer vision, increasing the automation of the standard photogrammetric process. This made the use of image-based approaches for 3D models reconstruction enormously increase, which is an essential part of the Cultural Heritage documentation and analysis processes. Starting from these assumptions, the aim of the paper is to evaluate what and where it is possible nowadays to find the main differences between photogrammetry and computer vision approaches and how these have to be considered in the choice of the processing technique. The analysis has been performed starting from a theoretical point of view in order to trace the main characteristics of the two methods. Moreover, in order to complete the investigation, an experimental part is reported on two particular cases study, considered as representative of two types of usually surveyed objects. The results allow to enlighten some differences between the two image processing approaches, in terms of accuracy and achieved products.
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Academic Article
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Academic ArticleRecent landscape changes at Damietta Promontory, Nile Delta – EgyptDamietta Promontory in the Nile Delta experienced great changes and reformation in the last few years as it is a promised area for the socio-economic development under the umbrella of the Egyptian sustainable development strategy 2030. This study aims to monitor shoreline changes and anthropogenic intervention from 2000 to 2015 to address impact(s) of the coastal erosion on the future economic development and land management. Monitoring shoreline changes was carried out using SCAP model (Shoreline Changes And Prediction) developed by the author to compute shoreline changes. Land cover changes were also analyzed using supervised classification based on Landsat satellite images. Rates of erosion obtained from the model differ from 12.17 to and −5.56 m/yr generally. The study also revealed the significant land accretion towards the sea due to means of shore protection, sand feeding and the rapid urbanization on agricultural, reclaimed and vacant lands. The overall accuracies of images’ classification ranged between 85 and 95 indicating high credibility of the classification process.
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Academic ArticleRecent improvements in photometric stereo for rock art 3D imagingRecent improvements in photometric stereo (PS) are shown to remove the major limitations of this low-cost 3D recording technique. In particular, there are significant improvements in lighting constraints, processing time and presence of deformation in reconstructed surfaces, allowing for fast and accurate restoration of shape and color information. The shooting technique is sufficiently easy to make PS ideal for ancient rock art, which is generally encountered in difficult to access sites, where many of the rock engravings to survey are often placed in a narrow space. This paper focuses on the Sardinia neolithic tombs known as Domus de Janas, as they offer an opportunity to demonstrate the applicability of PS to general rock art.